Ray McKinney backs Maria Sheffield in 12th C.D.

Ray McKinney, the 2010 Republican nominee in the 12th Congressional District, is supporting Maria Sheffield for the nomination this year.Sheffield, a Dublin attorney, is competing with three others in Tuesday’s primary for the right to oppose Democratic incumbent John Barrow.New boundaries favor the GOP and led Barrow to move from Savannah to Augusta.Sheffield also has picked up the support of wearepolitics.com, a conservative group.“Maria Sheffield is a middle Georgia Girl,” said McKinney, “Maria … grew up worshiping God, loving America, and respecting family. Maria … understands there is right and wrong, good and bad, and there are things which are pro-America and there are things that are not.”He called her “a Christian, an American, and a conservative in that order” who “offers no apologies.”While giving her its unqualified backing, wearepolitics.com had kind words for another candidate, Rick Allen, and not so kind ones for the other two, Lee Anderson and Wright McLeod“Maria Sheffield,” it said, “is the candidate who has run … as an unapologetic grassroots conservative. In almost every case Maria Sheffield was the first candidate to sign a grassroots conservative pledge, promote a social conservative issue, and take on John Barrow.”But it said Allen, an Augusta businessman, “also impresses.”“Sadly,” it adds, Anderson, a state representative from Grovetown, and McLeod, an Augusta attorney, “have demonstrated they are not true conservatives.”

Meanwhile, former State Senate candidate Carry Smith has endorsed Lesli Messinger for the Democratic nomination in the 1st Congressional District.Messinger, a Savannah businesswoman, faces Nathan Russo, a retired St. Simons businessman, on Tuesday.The winner will oppose Republican incumbent Jack Kingston, who is seeking a 11th term. After last year’s boundary changes, the district still has a GOP tilt, but a less steep one than it used to have.Smith, a leader in the Chatham County Democratic Party, ran last year against GOP incumbent Buddy Carter of Pooler and drew 30 percent of the vote.She said she worked briefly for Russo before switching candidates. “At that time,” she said, “he was the only ‘non-Republican’ running for Congress from the Georgia 1st. “While Mr. Russo presents in interesting matrix of ideas; I believe his candidacy could not successfully face-off against (a) 10-term incumbent Republican. … .”In contrast, Smith said, Messinger “has a credible platform” to take on Kingston and the Republicans“This may be our best chance in many years to bring the Democratic Party back to the 1st Congressional District,” she said.